In a day and age when seemingly fewer and fewer people are making things with their hands and engaged in the world of manufacturing, Berrien County and all of Southwest Michigan remain a hotbed of manufacturing expertise, and a key player in that realm is celebrating 50-years in business this year.
Founded on June 15th of 1969, Custom Tool & Die continues to be a family-owned and operated business thriving along the Lake Michigan shoreline, doing what it has always done best, providing quality products for critical customers across the country.
A proud 3rd generation company that’s excited to still be around, and looking forward to an increasingly bright future.
Custom Tool & Die Company Inc. was originally founded by Heinrich Reinhardt and Alfred Bartschke. Soon after, Heinrich bought out his partner and became the sole owner. The original location was actually in Baroda, and Heinrich, along with his wife and four children grew the business to the point that in July of 1976 the Company expanded and moved to 2355 Marquette Woods Road in Stevensville.
In 1996 Harry Reinhardt inherited the company from his father, Heinrich. Custom Tool and & Die was booming and had plans to expand. Then, barely a year later, in 1997, the company suffered an unfortunate accidental fire. Instead of letting that fire put an end to Custom Tool & Die, it pushed the business forward and led Harry to speed up the expansion and moving process.
Their current, 28,000 square foot facility was built in 1999 and is anchored at 7059 Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville. Harry has been the sole owner and President of the company, but he is currently training his son, Jason Reinhardt, and his daughter, Jennifer Wall, to be his successors. 
When Custom Tool and Die was first founded, their primary expertise was in the construction of trim dies for the die cast industry. Since then they have employed extensive new technologies and diversified their manufacturing capabilities to further meet the needs of our customers on multiple fronts.
Their 1999 relocation helped considerably in the expansion of their machining capabilities while also offering the side benefit of becoming considerably more efficient.
The company’s many years of experience have equipped them to work with multiple industry sectors including:
- Automotive
- Home appliance
- Furniture industry
- Motorcycle standards and requirements
Their goal continues to be to always meet the needs of every customer, and they have long prided themselves in training their employees to be the best engineers, machinists and team members possible.
They are a Tier 1 supplier to both Whirlpool and Chrysler, but also do work for other major corporations including General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Ford, Herman Miller and Harley Davidson.
Custom Tool & Die is in the business of building and repairing trim dies and fixtures, however they also provide machining and various other services, bringing value to the customer as well as unparalleled customer service before, during and after every sale.
They specialize in the manufacturing of trim dies, brake bonders, machining fixtures, custom CNC machining (prototypes) and wire EDM work. In addition to their manufacturing capabilities, the company also provides engineering, 3-D printing and laser engraving…all on site.
Custom Tool & Die employees over the years have proven to be an integral part of the firm’s success and a key part of why they have been around for 50 years. The company sports a long list of employees who have been one the team for more than 20 years. The family believes that hosting an environment which maximizes everyone’s potential and their contribution to the team’s success, allowing those same employees to share in the company’s success in meaningful ways.
Custom Tool & Die is celebrating their 50 years with Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Open House this evening, Thursday, September 26th from 5:00-7:00pm.
The photos of the Custom Tool & Die team and their current building on Red Arrow Highway are courtesy of Custom Tool & Die.
